Report of Sexual Assault Proves Unfounded
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University Police have determined that a report of a sexual assault at the Garland Avenue Parking Garage was untrue.
At 10 p.m. Sunday, April 27, University Police received a report of a sexual assault in the Garland Avenue Parking Garage. This communication led to an intense investigation and an alert to the campus community.
“UAPD will always take reports of criminal activity seriously and will apply all available resources to solve the crime and apprehend those responsible,” said Capt. Gary Crain, UAPD spokesman. “It is very rare that a person makes a false report to the police, but this report has been determined to be untrue. The circumstances reported to police never happened.”
After consultation with the prosecuting attorney, an arrest was made by the University of Arkansas Police Department on a charge of filing a false police report.
The report of a sexual assault on campus late Sunday prompted University Police to send a text alert via the RazALERT system to campus community members late Sunday evening and a more detailed email notification early Monday morning.
“We have a duty to share information with our community and to remind them to be ever-vigilant and alert,” Crain said. “Notifying the campus is another tool in our investigations as it can yield additional tips.”
Melissa Harwood-Rom, dean of students, said, “While this cased ended up being a false report, we are sensitive to the fact that such an outcome may discourage others from coming forward to report an assault. That is not our intention or our hope.
“We take campus safety very seriously – and must consider all variables in the fight against sexual violence,” said Harwood-Rom. “We have a zero tolerance policy for sexual assault. Numerous university programs provide training, resources and counseling to our students. Ultimately, we want to equip University of Arkansas students with the ability to make good decisions.”
For more information on campus safety, visit the online Student Handbook.
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Contacts
Steve Voorhies, manager of media relations
University Relations
479-575-3583,
voorhies@uark.edu
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